Action Projects
Assessment of General Education Learning Outcomes
Institution: University of St. Francis
Submitted: February 16, 2004
Timeline:
Planned project kickoff date:
Target completion date:
Actual completion date:
A. Give this Action Project a short title in 10 words or fewer:
Establish and develop assessment plan for university-wide undergraduate education goals.
B. Describe this Action Project's goal in 100 words or fewer:
This project will establish university-wide undergraduate education learning goals that will more clearly define a liberal arts education at USF, are assessable, affirm the role of extra-curricular and interdisciplinary studies in liberal education and provide a focal point for general education and major program curricular development.
C. Identify the single AQIP Category which the Action Project will most affect or impact:
Primary Category: Helping Students Learn
D. Describe briefly your institution's reasons for taking on this Action Project now -- why the project and its goals are high among your current priorities:
The USF strategic plan goal of academic excellence cannot be addressed until we have defined what the goals are and state the goals in a manner that they can be assessed. Thus, there are two reasons for giving this project a priority status: 1) The first is that we currently do not have a systematic, university-wide method for assessment of our liberal education goals. Establishing the goals is the first step in that effort. The next step will be to develop a university-wide plan to assess the accomplishment of those goals. 2) We need to move liberal education from distributive department-based model to a university-wide outcomes-based model that encourages collaboration across disciplines.
E. List the organizational areas - -institutional departments, programs, divisions, or units -- most affected by or involved in this Action Project:
Faculty and students in undergraduate programs.
F. Name and describe briefly the key organizational process(es) that you expect this Action Project to change or improve:
1) Liberal education curricular development/revision
2) Processes for offering interdisciplinary courses (staffing/course loads)
3) Assessment
G. Explain the rationale for the length of time planned for this Action Project (from kickoff to target completion):
Involve all academic stake-holders: students, faculty and administrators in each step of process. Give regular (semiannual) reports to Academic Assembly. Publicize progress in local media.
H. Describe how you plan to monitor how successfully your efforts on this Action Project are progressing:
1) More effective assessment of liberal/general education 2) Increased faculty ownership of assessment 3) Emergence of cross-curricular initiatives for liberal education such as a Writing-Across-the-Curriculum program.
I. Describe the overall "outcome" measures or indicators that will tell you whether this Action Project has been a success or failure in achieving its goals:
Publication of goals in College Catalog; development and implementation of assessment plan.
J. Other information (e.g., publicity, sponsor or champion, etc.):
Goals developed and published in University CatalogAssessment Council develops assessment plan for goalsAssessment plan implemented – first year of data collection.
Last Action Project Update: September 1, 2005
A. Describe the past year's accomplishments and the current status of this Action Project.
- Developed a process flow for academic assessment throughout the university
- Revised assessment rubric used by the council to review assessment reports
- All current academic assessment reports were reviewed by two members of the Council with College results going to the respective dean and overall and college results going to the AAVP.
- The program review process was revised to incorporate annual assessment into the process.
- Began investigating the portfolio process as one means of assessing student learning and how an electronic portfolio could enhance student learning and assessment.
- Decided that writing would be the first university wide outcome assessed.
- Developed a rubric to assess writing across the curriculum
- Incorporated university wide outcomes in the development of general education courses for new degree completion programs.
- Increased membership in the Council so there are at least two members from each college.
B. Describe how the institution involved people in work on this Action Project.
- The assessment process changes were reviewed with the Vice Presidents and the President.
- University wide outcomes were looked at by a faculty group looking at general education outcomes and the assessment council.
- Educational Standards Committee reviewed and approved changes to the outcomes.
- Curriculum Committee approved the program revision guidelines. The new program review guidelines were developed by the College of Arts and Sciences in consultation with the Assessment Council.
- Membership in the Assessment Council includes at least two members of each college, the Director of the Academic Resource Center and the Director of Institutional Research.
C. Describe your planned next steps for this Action Project.
- It was determined that faculty understanding of assessment varies and additional information and resources were needed. A communication plan was developed for the 2005-06 academic year which includes:
- Develop an assessment web page where resources and tools can be housed.
- Report every semester to the Academic Assembly
- Send out Assessment Council newsletter to the University community
- Develop common definitions for basic assessment and rubric terms
- Present an overview of assessment at all new full time and adjunct faculty orientations
- Have a lunch time and late afternoon presentation on an assessment topic every semester
- Develop a one hour online course in assessment and make it available to full and part time faculty
- Have a brown bag lunch on general education revision and assessment.
D. Describe any "effective practice(s)" that resulted from your work on this Action Project.
E. What challenges, if any, are you still facing in regards to this Action Project?
- It is difficult to keep all faculty engaged and excited when they are at different levels
- Funding is needed to add incentives and add other enhancements
- Adding an assessment analyst to assist faculty with analysis when the budget can support it is very important.
- In looking at portfolio assessment and e-portfolios, concentrated time is needed by an individual or group of individuals to work on the best solutions and implement them
F. If you would like to discuss the possibility of AQIP providing you help to stimulate progress on this action project, explain your need(s) here and tell us who to contact and when?